| Sharks
Permit is Required in Federal waters 3+ miles
The 2012 shark regulations complement existing federal shark regulations, however there are additional measures required for state waters.
- In state waters, there is no minimum size limit for small coastal sharks in the recreational fishery, but federal regulations inlude a 54-inch minimum size limit for blacknose and finetooth small coastal sharks.
- All sharks within the large coastal group will have a closed sason within state waters from May 15 - July 15 to protect spawning female sharks during the pupping season.
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******PROHIBITED******
IN NJ and FEDERAL WATERS (3+ MILES): Atlantic Angel, Basking, Bigeye Sand Tiger, Sand Tiger, Bigeye Thresher, Bigeye sixgill, Bignose, Carribean Reef, Carribean sharpnose, Dusky, Galapagos, Longfin mako, Narrowtooth, Night, Sandbar (Brown Shark), Sevengill, Silky, Sixgill, Smalltail, Whale & White Sharks **It is illegal to take, possess or
land any or these species**
******PROHIBITED******
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YEAR ROUND
Exception:
Large Coastal Shark CLOSED SEASON:
May 15 - July 15
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54" Nose to tip of tail
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1 authorized* shark/vessel/trip
plus 1 Atlantic sharpnose and 1 bonnethead shark/person/trip
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*Species that may be kept:
Large Coastal Shark: blacktip, bull, lemon, nurse, tiger (not sandtiger), spinner, scalloped hammerhead, smooth hammerhead, great hammerhead.
Large Coastal Shark CLOSED SEASON: May 15 - July 15
Small Coastal Shark: atlantic sharpnose, bonnethead, blacknose, finetooth
Pelagic Shark: shortfin mako, blue, porbeagle, oceanic whitetip and common thresher.
PERMIT REQUIRED!
AS of 2003, outside 3 Miles in the EEZ (Federal Waters) a permit is required in order to take sharks!
It is not required for sharks taken in the NJ bays.
HMS Permit Holders MUST abide by the federal regulations, not state, in taking of sharks. ie: any vessel that does NOT have a HMS permit to fish federal waters may take brown shark in NJ waters, but an HMS permit holder CANNOT. |
PRINTABLE FEDERAL NMFS/NOAA ATLANTIC SHARK RECREATIONAL FISHERY REGULATIONS JUNE 2010 (.pdf file)
All sharks harvested by recreational fishermen must have heads, tails and fins attached naturally to the carcass until landed. Anglers may still gut and bleed the carcass as long as the tail is not removed. Filleting sharks at sea is prohibited.
Shark Identification Guide (.pdf file)
RELEASE INFORMATION: If you are not sure of the species and whether you may keep it, release it. Recreational fisherman can no longer retain sandbar or "brown" sharks or silky sharks as of June 2009.
NOTE: To differentiate sharks from dogfish - the smooth dogfish has flat, tiny teeth; the spiny dogfish has strong dorsal spines, shorter than and in front of the dorsal fins. Neither are present in sharks.
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